“Oh, sorry!” Helga exclaimed. “Sometimes I forget my own strength. I just got so excited!”
“Well,” JanWoo-Corriboo said, “if Breister is coming back to the ‘Mountain That Moves But Stands Still,’ he’s only coming back because he wants to get back inside the WooPeace for some reason! Maybe he thinks you’re there. He may have heard somehow that you were coming here, or perhaps he’s just grasping at straws. There’s no other reason he’d want to come here. I doubt he’s coming for a health bath in the hot spring.”
The group chuckled at Janty’s flippant comment, but then she looked at them seriously. “If you want to try to find Breister, we’ve got to get a move on. If he is going to the ‘Mountain That Moves But Stands Still,’ you’ve got to go there. It’s the one place that all Woonyaks know seems to offer a direct access to the WooPeace. ”
Helga looked puzzled. “But I thought this was the ‘Mountain That Moves But Stands Still!’”
Janty smiled. “Yes, it is,” she replied, “this general area goes by that name because the ancient stories say the land around here used to tremble with earth tremors. But there’s also a specific place that really gives this mountain its name. And that is where Breister might go if he were going to try to enter the WooPeace again. That very special place is just over that ridge, on the other side of the mountain!”
Burwell groaned. “Ooooo...Hike, hike, hike...That’s all we do! My poor little footsies have blisters on their blisters! And we don’t have enough food or water for a march. Where do we sleep? Do you want us to just lie on the rocks and starve?” He looked mournfully at his stomach. “I haven’t had anything to eat in hours! My bellybutton is rubbing against my backbone. Yep! Yep! Yep!”
“Well, you’re in luck, Burwell,” Janty said. “You and Bwellina won’t be walking far. Its unlikely Breister would come here, because no one knows about this entrance to the WooPeace but our family. After we say goodbye to my father, we’re going to visit my friend, Toshty. He has a cabin just on the other side of that ridge. You and Bwellina can stay there while Helga and I look for signs of Breister. Toshty won’t mind having some visitors.”
JanWoo-Corriboo looked lovingly at her father who was getting ready to go back into the WooPeace. “Goodbye, Father,” she said. “Please tell mother how much I love her. I miss you both so much!”
Tatty hugged her. “Janty, I feel certain that the day will come when we will no longer be separated like this. It’s nuts!” he laughed, looking at Helga.
After the group had said fond farewells to TatterWoo-Corriboo, Janty said, “O.K., folks, it’s time to head for Toshty’s. We’ll need to walk about two hours to get there.”
“Uh, Janty,” Burwell asked, “it’s absolutely pitch dark. Do you really want to try to do this now? I don’t climb mountains well in the dark!” He looked uncertainly at Helga, who only gave her constantly worrying friend a bemused smile. She, too, was wondering how they would make such a trip in the dark, but Burwell’s worrying was also a bit of comic relief for her.
“You know, Burwell,” Helga observed, “if we stay here overnight, your bellybutton will eat your backbone for breakfast, and then the Venom Bats will pick over your carcass. I recommend we go find a nice soft bed and a meal.” She smiled at her friend.
“Aye, aye, Captain Helgy,” Burwell saluted. “That’s a march I’ll sign up for! Yep! Yep! Yep!”
Janty had pulled out a small pronghorn flute from her pack, and was blowing it softly.
“A pronghorn flute!” Helga exclaimed in surprise. “I didn’t know anyone played that sort of flute around her.”
“No one does, except for me,” Janty replied. “I’ve always been a little off the beaten path, which is why my parents didn’t want me to stay in the WooPeace. They knew I would annoy WooZan so much she’d drive me out someday, if I didn’t go on my own! I was into too many things that would ‘disturb the WooPeace’ for me to stay there...” Janty chuckled. “Like pronghorn flutes—Toshty got this from a Roundie once and no one else could learn how to play it except me.”
“Yes,” Helga agreed, “the pronghorn flute is not easy to play. Few beasts, other than Wood Cows, have mastered it. I’m impressed that you can play.” Helga’s respect for Janty had received another boost.
“Well,” Janty said, “what I’ve discovered about the flute is that it has an amazing sound quality, that helps me to find my way in the dark!” She looked significantly at Burwell and demonstrated. “When you play the flute with a certain tone, like this...”